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The xx Is Back: Listen To 'On Hold' And Get Ready For A New Album

The xx is back with new music, and it feels like this wonderfully languid band may have just received a shot of adrenaline.

The London band's new song is called "On Hold." It features the familiar, hushed back-and-forth singing between old friends Romy Madly Croft and Oliver Sim, but producer Jamie Smith, a.k.a. Jamie xx, has lifted the band's black veil and embraced a brighter, friendlier pop sound. Those beats ... I swear they feel like a heart pumping 126 times a minute.

The even better news here is that the song is just a peek at its first album in more than four years. I See You will include "On Hold" and nine more songs, will be out on January 13 via Young Turks. It was recorded earlier this year in London, New York, Los Angeles, Reykjavik and Marfa, Texas. The track list is below.

The xx's I See You

  • Dangerous
  • Say Something Loving
  • Lips
  • A Violent Noise
  • Performance
  • Replica
  • Brave For You
  • On Hold
  • I Dare You
  • Test Me
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    In 1988, a determined Bob Boilen started showing up on NPR's doorstep every day, looking for a way to contribute his skills in music and broadcasting to the network. His persistence paid off, and within a few weeks he was hired, on a temporary basis, to work for All Things Considered. Less than a year later, Boilen was directing the show and continued to do so for the next 18 years.